No amount of cold, wintery weather can freeze the spirit of family serving family.
After his delivery to Exchange stores at Germany’s U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder in late January, Rene Szymura faced off with an icy “monster hill” that his truck could not overcome.
Szymura, a fleet long-distance driver based out of the Germersheim Distribution Center in Germany, called his supervisor to explain why he wouldn’t be able to return to the DC for his next mission, which would delay shipments and inconvenience his teammates.
Salt and ‘elbow grease’
Baumholder’s Military Clothing Store and Burger King are in a building at the bottom of Szymura’s monster hill. Seeing his predicament, seven associates from both teams set out into the snow to tame the “monster” and get Szymura on his way.
“We spent over an hour out there taking turns shoveling,” said Burger King Manager Julie Porter. “After a bag of salt and a lot of elbow grease, he finally made it to the top.”
With the help and teamwork of his fellow associates, Szymura ascended the hill and made his way back to the DC.
“I have been with the Exchange for a little more than a year,” Szymura said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my driving career, people helping people—especially a trucker.”
Germersheim associates thanked the Baumholder teams with cake and certificates of appreciation from Europe Region Fleet Manager Ronald Willis.
“No matter retail, food, services, logistics or any other directorate, we truly are a family,” said Col. Scott McFarland, commander of the Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia Region. “This story is just one great example of the Exchange’s family serving family core value.”
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